City suffers major storm damage

Mayor Toni Iseman has called a special meeting for 1 p.m. today at City Hall to address the needs of folks whose homes and belongings were damaged or destroyed by the storms of December.

Folks who have suffered a loss are asked to come to the meeting or at least make their names and contact number available. Forms are available at City Hall.

“We don’t know who to help or how to help them if we don’t know who they are or where they are,” Iseman said.

Many of the residents forced out of their Laguna Canyon homes have found shelter in neighbors’ homes, canyon resident Ann Quilter said.

“A lot of people have lost everything and that story is not getting out,” Quilter said.

As of Tuesday, 30 residential properties were known to have moderate to major damage, according to a news release issued by the city. While only one home had been “yellow tagged,” water damage to interior walls and personal items is extensive.

The cost for cleanup and losses is estimated at $4 million.

Damage to public and private property and the cost to begin the cleanup totaled $10.2 million, as of Tuesday.

Damages reported by 59 business and commercial structures were mostly to inventory. Losses and cleanup were estimated to cost $3.5 million.

Serious damage to 18 other properties and cost estimates was reported:

•Laguna Beach Animal Shelter, $800,000;

•Anneliese’s School at El Toro and Laguna Canyon roads, $900,000;

•The iconic Lifeguard Tower at Main Beach and the boardwalk that fronts the beach, $200,000;

•Police Department Property/Evidence Storage Facility adjacent to the creek, $100,000;

•Damage to the rear of City Hall from the mudslides is estimated at $100,000;

•The slides also went into the Marine Safety storage area and the Police Department Vehicle Maintenance/Storage Unit;

•Several sewer pump stations throughout the community suffered damage, $100,000;

•Downtown streets and Laguna Canyon Road, in excess of $100,000;

•Repairs for fencing in the downtown area near Beach Street, rental fencing for the boardwalk area, and damaged fencing by city-owned bridges along Laguna Canyon Road will exceed $100,000;

• “Other structures,” more than $2.4 million.

The total estimate includes $300,000 for the cost of city employees responding to the emergency and participating in the cleanup.

City officials will update the information as it becomes available.